Package closure



Sept. 1 1925.

J. L; SHROYE R PACKAGE CLOSURE Fi led Aug. 1s;

JZQQB L). SHROVER Patented Sept. 1, 192 5.

\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

JACOB L. SHRO'YER, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

racxnen cLosunn Application filed August 18, 1923. Serial No. 658,149.

fullmprovementsin Package Closures, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to package closures. It will be explained as embodied in a closure for cigarette packages.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved package closure.

Another object is to provide a package closure which may be readily applied to and removed from a package.

' Another object is to provide a closure for ordinary cigarette packages.

Another object is to provide a cigarette package closure which will retain the cigarettes within the package when in closed position and which may be readily moved to open position to permit removal of the cigarettes.

Another object is to provide a closure which is simple, reliable, inexpensive and easily applied to a cigarette package. Another object is to provide a closure which will prevent the crushing of a cigarette package and will assist in preserving the cigarettes in good condition.

Other objects and advantages will after appear.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- 1n- Fig. 1 is an assembled perspective of the preferred form'of package closure.

Fig. 2 is a separated perspective thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a package of cigarettes with the closure applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a. cigarette hereinpackage with the closure in place and the.

package open for removal of cigarettes.

. Fig. 5 is a perspective of a modified 150135 of closure, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective of, a cigarette packagewith the closure of Fig. 5'in place.

The preferred embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4 will first be described.

' This closure comprises, in general, two

elements, a cover support and a slidable cover mountedthereon.

The cover support is of somewhat U shape,

having two substantially flat side members or legs 1, and an interconnecting yoke 2. Yoke 2 1s not as long as the legs, as shown most clearly at the upper right corner of Fig. 2, so as to leave an opening to the contents ofthe package. The cover support may be made in one piece from a strip or sheet of suitable material such as steel or celluloid. For ease in application to a .package one leg may be made longer than the other and the lower corners of both may be rounded or beveled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The sliding cover comprises a substantially flat plate 3 and a retaining tongue 4 which may be formed together from a strip or sheet of suitable material, such as steel or celluloid. Plate 3 is made of such size as to completely close the end of the package with which the closure is to be used. Ton e 4 lies substantially parallel to and is yiedingly bent toward plate 3 to hold the cover in place.

I The resiliency of the material,

ordinarily, will give sufiicien't biasing pressure. In order to facilitate the placement ofthe cover tongue 4'may be made somewhat pointed as shown in Fig. 2. One endof plate 3 may be bent at an angle to form a stop 5.

The preferred form of closure is assem-- bled by slightly and temporarily separating plate 3 and tongue 4 and slipping the cover in place upon yoke 2 of the support. When the cover is in place, plate 3 lies against yoke 2 on the outside and tongue 4 lies age (for example the'partone one side of revenue stamp 8) is removed in the usual manner. Then the legs 1 of the cover support are passed through the end ofthe package adjacent the longer edge corners and forced inwardly along the inside of opposite wallsof the package. In cases where the package, like many cigarette packages, has double side walls,'legs 1 may be inserted therebetween. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, legs 1 may lie between an nner wall layer 10, which is often of tin fo1l,.and an outer-wall 1a er 9, which isusually of paper. Ordinarily t e legs will easily penetrate the top of the package although slits may first be cut by a knife'if desired. If the legs of the support are formed so as normally to diverge slightly from the yoke and the yoke is approximately the width of the package,

- the distortion necessary to bring the legs removed therefrom.

opening in the top ofpackage 7, or intoa,

position to uncover the opening in the*top of the package as shown in Fig. 4. Stop 5 prevents the cover from being moved far enough toward closed position to result in separation of the cover and its support.

The closure may be removed from a pack age by merely withdrawing the legs of the cover support therefrom.-

The legs of the cover support, stiffen the package and protect its contents against crushing or bending. The cover, when closed, assists in protecting the contents of the package and keeps the contents within the package. The cover, however, may be readily moved to open position so that the contents of the package may be removed. The closure may be quickly and easily applied to a package and.,as quickly and easily Figs. 5 and 6 show a cheaper arrangement wherein the top of the package itself forms the cover support. The cover" comprises a substantially flat plate 12 and a sharpened tongue 13 which may be formed in one piece.' When used on a cigarette package the revenue stamp 8 and the unremoved part of the package top serve as the retaining band for 1101 ing the cover in the stamp just above the cigarettes. When the package is to be opened the point of tongue 13 is forced through th opposite corner of the package and the cover is slid upon the retaining band. Sliding the cover back to its original position closes the package.

This arrangement will serve to quite effectively close the package to retain the contents therein and will ordinarily suflice where stifi'ening of the sides of the package is not required.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A package closure, comprising an an chori'ng strip extending across the top of a package-and apertured to expose a portion thereof, and a "cover slidably mounted upon said strip andnormally covering said aperture, saidcover comprising a substantially flat plate lying on oneside of said strip, bent back at one'end into a yielding tongue lying on the other side thereof, and

bent downwardly at its other end to form a stop. Y

2. An interchangeable package closure, comprising a'cover support embodying depending members frictionally to connect said support to a package and a connecting -strip extending across th top of the package and partially closing thesame, and a cover slidably mounted upon said stri and normally completely closing the top 0 said package, said cover comprising a substantially flat plate lying on one side of said strip, bent back at one end into a yielding tongue lying on the other side thereof, and bent downwardly at its other end to form a l ii testimony whereof I hereunto subscribed my name.

JACOB L. SHROYER. 

